Flashback: Four years ago today, Arike Ogunbowale lifted Notre Dame to NCAA title

img
Arike Ogunbowale hit back-to-back game winning shots en route to winning the NCAA tournament with Notre Dame. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Friday marks the four-year anniversary of “The Shot,” the buzzer-beater with which Arike Ogunbowale sealed a title win for Notre Dame against Mississippi State.

Ogunbowale averaged 20.8 points per game that season, but two of her most important shots came in back-to-back games in the NCAA tournament. Against UConn in the Final Four, Ogunbowale nailed the go-ahead jumper to put the Irish up 91-89.

UConn’s desperation shot at the last second came up short, sending Notre Dame to the national championship.

In the national championship game, Ogunbowale delivered once again. After clawing back from a 15 point deficit, Notre Dame was tied with Mississippi State in the final seconds of regulation.

With three seconds left, Ogunbowale nailed a fade-away 3-pointer despite being well-defended. The shot won Notre Dame its first women’s basketball title since 2001.